Sunday, May 26, 2019

By the Gods!

 A hooded Dan Vadis fights in an arena in TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS (1964)

This scene is good and baffling. The action in the Ten Gladiators series are some of the best from the genre. Really action packed. In this scene we see Dan Vadis jumps of this death contraption only to nearly die from it. What makes this scene odd is that this contraption was also used in GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS (1961) where Gloria Milland is nearly impaled by it. Scenes from the latter were used freely in TRIUMPH and yet none of the long shots from GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS of this contraption were used. It's really peculiar decision from the director. Where the few crowd scenes from GIANTS edited together with the scenes of TRIUMPH really that much of a cost saving?

 The device is set in motion, with the plank of nails heading down towards him. 

 The quick thinking hero uses his sword to stop the deadly device...

...only to be in trouble again seconds later. This device was used in GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS.


1 comment:

Scott Ochiltree said...


Spikes descending vertically is just another twist on the Peplum
meme of spiked walls closing in on the hero. In either situation it is a first rate death machine.